Immediately following her gig as the host of this year’s MTV Video and Music Awards, Miley Cyrus dropped a surprise, free album titled “Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz.” If an unexpected and completely free LP from one of the biggest names in music isn’t jarring enough, the album itself is sure to shock you (in a bad way and in a good way).
The album is a collection of wonderfully weird musings about sex and death. “Dead Petz” lacks a consistent, definable “sound;” it is a stream of experiments that exists because it can. As you would expect from the emotional musings and artistic experiments of a stoner, the album has both its affecting moments and its cringe-inducing moments.
The nonstop references to marijuana on “Dead Petz” are incredibly irritating. It’s hard to determine if the constant mention of pot is a desperate attempt to seem rebellious or if it’s the result of an actual unhealthy obsession; either way, it leaves the listener saying, “We get it, Miley.”
Another downfall of “Dead Petz” is the presence of pseudo-deep lyrics with empty appeals to oneness with nature and the cosmos. In the song “1 Sun,” Cyrus sings, “Can’t you see the Earth is crying? Can’t you see the clouds are dying?” On the track “Dooo It!” she sings, “I feel like I am part of the universe and it’s part of me.”
Amid the empty pleas for “Peace, man!” and comically vulgar lyrics like “finger my heart,” there are some genuinely moving moments. In the song “Lighter,” Miley sings, “We never get to see ourselves sleeping peacefully next to the ones that we love.” On the track “The Floyd Song” (a track written about her dog who passed away), she sings, “The sunrise insists on gladness. But how can I be glad now that my flower is dead?” These are only two of the many touching instances of “Dead Petz.”
This album also succeeds in showcasing Miley’s extraordinary voice. Whether it’s her crooning on tracks like “Fweaky” or belting on tracks like “Twinkle Song,” “Dead Petz” shows off Miley’s exceptional talent, which is often overshadowed by the public’s opinions on her Instagram, relationships and clothing (or lack thereof).
Miley’s emotions—virtually absent in most of her previous work—is what makes this LP special. A monologue in the song “BB Talk” is so unique that it must be genuine, and her crying on the track “Pablow the Blow Fish” is beyond any acting abilities shown on Hannah Montana. The result is a sensitive sincerity.
“Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz” is wiser, sadder, and weirder than anything Miley has done in the past, but it’s still very her—provocative yet endearing.
4 out of 5 stars.
